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Instruments & Innovation

88 items

This digital collection features selected scientific instruments, apparatus, and analytical tools from the Institute's museum as well as photographs, rare-book engravings, and illustrations depicting various types of equipment and machinery found in laboratories, manufacturing plants, and mechanical treatises. Inventions from book wheels to fireballs can be found here, alongside more modern innovations such as Gammacells and Geiger counters.

General view of several employees using a crane to move a heat treatment tank in preparation for the expansion of rosin-making facilities at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Brunswick, Georgia. One of two Hercules…

General view of safety inspector John Cloer at work in the foam house at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Brunswick, Georgia, with view of assorted fire-fighting and fire-suppression apparatus. One of two Hercules…

General view of boilermaker Hubbie H. Hattaway operating an acetylene cutting torch in the machine shop at the Hercules Powder Company plant located in Brunswick, Georgia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, the…

General view of employee Edward Newmans clearing spent wood chips from an extractor tank at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Brunswick, Georgia. One of two Hercules plants specializing in naval stores, the Brunswick…

General view of the production of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Also known as cellulose gum or tylose powder, CMC is a cellulose derivative commonly used as a…

General view of an unidentified employee loading packages of so-called "chemical cotton" into a boxcar at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified cellulose obtained…

General view of a control panel used to manage the continuous bleaching operation, part of the production of so-called "chemical cotton," at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a…

Two views of an unidentified employee operating the control panel on an autoclave used to process ethyl cellulose manufactured at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Ethyl cellulose manufactured by…

General view of an unidentified employee operating a loose pulp dryer at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The loose pulp dryer was likely used to process cellulosic fibrous materials, such as…

General view of an unidentified employee washing so-called "chemical cotton" as part of the continuous bleaching process at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified…

General view of two unidentified employees using a machine to cut stock of so-called "chemical cotton" into sheets at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified…

General view of the charging end of a continuous digester used at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The continuous digester system was likely used to process cellulosic fibrous materials, such as…

General view of continuous bleaching equipment used in the production of so-called "chemical cotton" at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified cellulose obtained…

Two views of an unidentified employee operating a paper machine in the Sheeting Department at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The paper machine was likely used to process cellulosic fibrous…

General view of continuous bleaching equipment used in the production of so-called "chemical cotton" at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified cellulose obtained…

General view of an unidentified employee bagging carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Also known as cellulose gum or tylose powder, CMC is a cellulose derivative…

General view of several unidentified employees bailing and wrapping sheets of so-called "chemical cotton" for shipment at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified…

Close-up view of laboratory operator Donald Stevens using a press to remove water from a sheet of so-called "chemical cotton," i.e. purified cellulose obtained from raw cotton linters, manufactured in the Cellulose…

General view of a roll rewinder in use in the Cellulose Department at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, the roll rewinder was used to produce smaller…

General view of the production of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Also known as cellulose gum or tylose powder, CMC is a cellulose derivative commonly used as a…

Close-up view of a Fourdrinier machine in use at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, this Fourdrinier machine was used to dewater sheets of so-called…

General view of an automatic banding machine in use in the Cellulose Department at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The employees visible in the photograph are identified as Leroy Brown and John…

Two views of employee Paul F. Brown feeding raw cotton linters (short fiber residues left on the cottonseed after the longer staple, aka the "lint" fibers, are removed by ginning) into a bale breaking machine in the…

Two views of an unidentified employee adjusting the Stern Shredder machine at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The shredder was used to process linter sheets of cellulosic fibrous materials, such…

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